Electric socket



H. E. sLADE ET A l.

ELCTRIG socKET Filed April 25. A1928 Patented uly 14, 1931 UNITED STA *rss PATENT OFFICE HAROLD E. SLADE, OF GLEN RIDGE, AND JOHN GEHBING, F JERSEY CITY, NEW

JERSEY, ASSIGNORS JERSEY TO BEAVER MACHINE & TOOL C0., INC., OF NEWARK, NEW

ELECTRIC SOCKET Appiication inea April 25,

Our invention relates to electric sockets or lamp holders of the current tap type, in

which provision is made for tapping current from the socket at a point intermediate '5 its ends.

The object of the invention is to provide a socket that is light` in weight, very substantial in construction and wherein the case or housing member is moulded in a single unit. i

Another object is to provide a socket that will withstand a lot of hard usage and not be racked by it, and which will have the parts of opposite polarity well' insulated from each other.

In carrying out our invention we utilize the various' elements shown by the accompanying drawings, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the socket.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the socket. Figure 3 is a bottom plan vie'w of the socket.

Figure l is a cross-section on line aa Figure 2.

5 1s a cross-section on line b-b Figure Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective -view of the low er contact clip and tap clip.

, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the female shell insulator.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the `female screw shell and associated conductor strip and tap clip.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the male screw shell. I

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the male shell insulator. I

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the top cap. i

Figure 12 is an' assembling stud.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the lower endv of the housing. y y

Figure 14 isa partial cross-section of the housing on the line c-c Figure 13.

In accomplishing our object of providing a socket that is light in weight, we employ a housing that is substantially a circularlike hollow shell, the walls of which are of thin cross-section.

To prevent racking of the variousl ele- 1928. Serial No. 272,776.

ments and to eliminate their coming into contact with each other we employ novel means for preventing the parts from rotating 1n relation to each other.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a housing 1 made from bakelite or similar material, has a cavity 2 in the lower part, and a cavity 3 in the upper part. Substantlally midway of the length of the housing and across the upper end of the lower cavity a bridge 4 divides the inside of the housing at this point intotwo pockets 5 5. Access to these pockets from the upper cavity is had through the passages 6 6. Located in these pockets are smallabutments Gaf-6a, the ends of which are in alignment with the under side of the bridge. Adjacent the ends of the bridge on the underside bosses 7-7 are raised, and a central hole S through the bridge connects the upper and lower cavities, forming a passage between them for the accommodation of the stud 40. -The pockets 5--5 are fory the purpose of housing and isolating the tap clips from each other and other parts that are of opposite polarity. lSlot-like passages 9-9 pass from the outside of the housing into the pockets 5--5- or the purpose of providing entrance ways Jo'r attachment plug cap blades thru which.

- current may be tapped to supply devices not associated'directly with the socket. The upper end of the housing is made with a large cavity to reduce the weight of the socket, and the upper edge of the rim is provided with lugs 10-10 which will be referred to later on. A female screw shell 11, Figure 8, is provided and from the base of which a lug 12 is turned upward. The base of the shell is further, cut away at 13 to provide clearance for the passage of the lower contact thru the shell in an insulated manner. Holes 14-14 are pierced in the base of the shell in register with the bosses 7--7 on the 'i located in the base of the shell adjacent the side walls, two other rectangular holes 22 22 positioned angularly with respect to the holes 21-21 and substantially midway between the hole 20 and the side walls, and a slit 23 pierced at right angles to the holes 21-21.I f

An insulator plate 24, Figure 10, has a central hole 25, The edges are notched at 26-'26 in register with the holes 21-21 of the shell, and angular lugs 27--27 are forced downward to enter the holes 22-22 in the shell.

A cup-shaped washer-like cap 28, Figure 11 has a squared center' hole 29, while sharp indentations are made in the flange to produce keys 30-30 on the underside which are to engage in the holes 27a-27a resulting from the forcing down of the angular lugs v27--2.

-A second insulating plate 31, Figure 7, has a central hole 32, notches, 33-33 pierced in register with the holes 14-14 in the shell 11, and a third notch 34 located at right angles to the notches 33-33.

A central contact Figure 6, comprising a resilient bulb-like end 35, a base 36 thru which a hole 37 is pierced, an olfset angular leg 38, and an upturned lug 39, has Aa top clip 17 a which is complementary to the tap clip 17, riveted securely to it.

The assembling of the socket is accomplished in the following way The female screw Vshell 11 is housed within the lower cavity 2, while the conductor strip 15 passes thru one of the passages 6 6, thru the cavity 3, with the end 16 projecting above the rim of the housing. The tap clip 17 attached to the contact strip is housed within one of the pockets 5 5. The base of the shell rests against the under side of the bridge and upon the abutments GIL-6a. The bosses 7--7 on the bridge pass thru the holes lll-111 in the shell preventing any rotation of it.

A central' contact and associated tap clip is mounted within the housing so that the clip 17a is housed within the remaining pocket 5, while the offset leg 38 passes thru the notch 34 in the insulator 31, thru the opening 13 in the shell and underlies the insulator with the base 36 resting against the insulator, the bulb-like end depends within the shell 11 as 'shown by the dotted lines.

The male screw shell 19 is slipped over the upper part of the housing so that the lugs 10-10 on the rim fit thru the holes 21-21. The end 16 of the conductorv strip 15 projects thru the hole or slit 23 and is bent down flat upon the base of the shell.

The insulator plate 24 overlies the shell so the lugs 10-10 on ,the rim fit in the notches 265-26, and the angular lugs 27-27 pass thru the holes 22-22 in the shell.

The cap 28 is placed over the insulator 24 with the keys 30-30 seated within the holes 27a-27a in the insulator.

The central assembling stud 40 is passed thru the holes 29, 25, 20, 13, 32, 8, and37, and a nut 44; is threaded over the end 43 of the stud, drawn up tight and either staked or otherwise fastened to prevent it from backing oif. The stud having a square section 42 directly under the head, and having a dome shaped head 41 without any slot in it, cannot be rotated from any roughness that may be present in the socket with which this device may be associated.

It will be apparent from a study of the parts and the foregoing description that relative rotation of one part with another is practically impossible, as the parts are locked together in the following manner The male shell and male shell insulator are prevented from rotating by the lugs on the rim of the housing passing thru the holes in the base of the shell, and engaging the notches in the edge of the insulator. The top cap is prevented vfrom rotating by the keys in the under side of the flange engaging the holes in the insulator, and the stud is prevented from rotating because of the squared section under the head fitting into the squared hole in the cap.

The female shell and female shell insulator are prevented from rotating by the bosses on the under side of the bridge passing thru holes in the base of the shell and thru the notches in the insulator.

As the stud is staked after the nut is threaded on it, it cannot back off, and from which it follows that if the nut remains se cured to the stud the parts will be effectively clamped to the housing, and, as the parts cannot be rotated, it will be seen that the parts will not be racked loose in the usage of the device. Shortcircuiting cannot take place if the parts remain in their proper associated positions, thus is the object of attaining substantial construction and adequate insulation between the parts of opposite polarity brought about.

While we have shown and described the preferred form of socket embodying our invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention belongs, that other equally good forms may cavity 'with the base of the said shell resting on the rim of said walls; a bridge within said lower cavity against which rests the base of the said receptacle shell; ta clips disposed on either side ofv said bri ge; a exible contact depending within the said receptacle shell; a central stud; said stud (so-operating to clampingly engage said shells 'and depending contact with said casing.

2. An electnc socket compuslng a one piece housing; a cavity in the lower part and a cavity'in the upper part in said housing; a bridge interposed between said cavities; a plug shell mounted exteriorly of the walls forming the upperl cavity; a receptacle shell housed within the lower cavity; -means passing by one side of said brid e and thru the' upper cavity'to electrica y connect said shells to form one side of circuit; an insulator overlying said plug shell; an insulator underlying said'recep- April 1928. y HAROLD E. SLADE. JOHN-GEHRING.

gned at Newark, county of Essex, and v 

